Du Ben (杜本) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Du Ben as a calligrapher, hermit, scholar, and writer. This record brings together 6 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Du Ben	杜本	Du Ben
Given	Ben	本	Ben
Courtesy name	Boyuan	伯原	Boyuan
Surname	Du	杜	Du
Personal name	Du Ben	杜本	Du Ben
Title	Master Clear Jade	清碧先生	Qingbi Xiansheng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · yuanshi:199:s0073

Roles

Calligrapher
Hermit
Scholar
Writer

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 至正十年 · Regnal Year: 10 · Western Year: AD 1350
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0087

Age

Age: 75 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0087

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 至正十年 · Regnal Year: 10 · Western Year: AD 1350
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0087
Source Date: Text: 至正三年 · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 1343
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0078
Source Date: Text: 武宗 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1308 · End: AD 1311
Explicit event contextual date · yuanshi:199:s0075

Career and standing

Label: Hanlin awaiting edict, Gentleman for Discussion, History Office compiler / 翰林待制、奉議大夫，兼國史院編修官 · Action: summoned-declined · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 至正三年 · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 1343
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0078, yuanshi:199:s0081

Places and affiliations

Polity Id: yuan · Relation: subject
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0075
Place: Qingjiang / 清江 · Relation: native-of
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0073
Place: Jingzhao / 京兆 · Relation: ancestral-home
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0073
Place: Wuyi Mountains / 武夷山 · Relation: secluded-at
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0076

Learning and skills

Skill: seal and clerical calligraphy / 篆隸 · Level: especially-accomplished
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0085
Skill: literary composition / 屬文 · Level: skilled
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0074
Skill: astronomy, geography, calendrics, mathematics / 天文、地理、律曆、度數 · Level: thorough
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0085

Works and attributed material

Work: Comprehensive Compilation of the Six Scripts / 六書通編 · Relation: author
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0086
Work: Expositions of the Four Classics / 四經表義 · Relation: author
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0086
Work: Policy for Relieving Famine / 救荒策 · Relation: author
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0075
Work: Ten Origins / 十原 · Relation: author
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0086
Kind: letter · Role: author · Other Person Id: Toqto'a (脫脫)
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0080

Events and relationships

Kind: summons · Role: summoned · Action: declined-Wenzong-summons · Other Person Id: Tugh Temür (圖帖睦爾)
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0077
Kind: summons · Role: summoned · Action: summoned-to-capital-then-returned
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0076
Relation: recommended-by · Person Id: Hulashu (忽剌術)
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0075

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: devoted to righteous aid of the poor · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0083
Kind: character · Statement: calm, abstemious, no harsh speech
Explicit · yuanshi:199:s0082

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

History of Yuan, Chapter 199Volume 199 Biographies 86: Recluses · 6 passages

Open chapter

杜本，字伯原，其先居京兆，後徙天台，又徙臨江之清江，今為清江人。 Du Ben, courtesy name Boyuan, came from a family that had lived in Jingzhao, later moved to Tiantai, and then to Qingjiang in Linjiang; he was now regarded as a native of Qingjiang.

本博學，善屬文。 Ben was widely learned and a skilled writer.

江浙行省丞相忽剌術得其所上《救荒策》，大奇之，及入為御史大夫，力荐於武宗。 Grand Councilor Hulashu of the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat was greatly impressed by Ben's "Policy for Relieving Famine"; when Hulashu became censor-in-chief, he strongly recommended Ben to Emperor Wuzong.

文宗在江南時，聞其名，及即位，以幣征之，不起。 When Wenzong was in the south he heard of Ben; after his accession he sent gifts to summon him, but Ben did not accept.

本湛靜寡欲，無疾言遽色。 Ben was calm and abstemious, never speaking harshly or showing sudden anger.

所著有《四經表義》、《六書通編》、《十原》等書，學者稱為清碧先生。 His works included Expositions of the Four Classics, Comprehensive Compilation of the Six Scripts, and Ten Origins; scholars called him Master Clear Jade (Qingbi).